Heavy Metal Kiss

It was fifteen minutes before the first show was slated to begin. As a result of our all-access tickets, my group was able to get first-row spots for all of the shows. I was standing right next to Saiki and I got to tell you, my heart was beating really fast and my hands were sweating just from being close to her. Is this what being in love entails? I was getting more adrenaline from standing right next to her than I ever had going to rock concerts. Was this a good sign? Should I be worried in this situation?

Anyway, it soon came time for the first band to take the stage. The first band that was performing was T.C.I, also known as TheChemicals Inside. They were a legendary post-hardcore and punk band that actually got their start in Shinjuku. From what I had learned about them, they started in high school and had released five albums across their music career. Despite being very young, they quickly rose to become global rock stars! The band disbanded once all the members graduated from college and decided to retire from the music scene. I heard that they all went on to have successful careers in other fields, although their lead singer had stayed in Shinjuku.

The lead singer of T.C.I walked up to the microphone and the surprise almost killed us. We all had our mouths hung open with stupefied expressions on our faces. The lead singer of the legendary band from Shinjuku was none other than Moriuchi Juri. And as if her blue streak wasn’t surprising enough, she also had on purple eyeliner and purple lipstick. Is this for real? How did we not know that she was a member of one of the most legendary bands in Shinjuku?

The members of T.C.I were dressed in black gothic-inspired clothing and black boots. They also had on makeup like Juri, but every member’s makeup was of a different color. When you put them together, they really looked like people who had been affected by chemicals. Anyway, Juri took the microphone and let out a howl. This one action surprised us all even more. But the rest of audience howled back in response as if they had done this many times before. Now, I have only heard of the band and listened to a few of their songs, but other than that, I know nothing about them. Who knew that this was how they started a show?

“Hello, Shibuya!” she shrieked.

The entire crowd went wild and cheered. They then began to chant what I could only assume was her stage name: “Jiro! Jiro! Jiro! Jiro! Jiro!”

“Let’s get ready to rock! Now, how should we start this off?” She walked across the stage with total command of the audience. I heard the audience shouting out song titles like crazy! Juri went back to the middle of the stage and gestured for the audience to settle down. “Alright, how about we start this off with a bang?” she asked the crowd. Everyone went wild. “Let’s blow the roof off this place with ‘Bombs Away’!”

The band began to play the song and I witnessed Juri playing guitar with a band for the first time in my life. I knew that she could play, but man, I have a whole new respect for her now. The bass was really driving and emphatic, the drums were wild but controlled, and the guitars sang out melodic riffs and blazing leads. And when Juri’s voice came in, I was floored. Never before would I expect her to have a voice like that. Her voice was in the alto range, but it was very powerful and had a nice growl to it that really added some cool colors on some parts. I was deeply impressed by this cool surprise and I rocked out. I glanced over at Saiki and saw her do the same. This festival was indeed beginning to become quite a beast!

T.C.I played a fifteen song set and they were done. In the middle of the show, we saw some cool guitar solo battles between Juri and the band’s lead guitarist, as well as a cool medley that showcased each of the other members’ singing abilities. And the way Juri controlled the audience—who knew that the childish co-owner of KABANG! who often clashed with her lover on stupid little things was capable of something like this?

After T.C.I, MetaDeath was the next band to play. Oh, I was ready to have my bones tremble at the hands of Bonecrusher again. They played an eight song set with instrumental interludes and a few short covers in between. Ryuki had noticed us halfway throughout the show and gestured to us with a nod of his head. When the show was over, he signaled for us to follow him backstage.

I was a little apprehensive about this, but Ikki had also noticed Ryuki’s invitation and quickly dragged us all backstage with him. We came face-to-face with the security guard backstage and was stopped—figures, right? But Ikki was determined to get backstage and he flashed his all-access ticket for the guard to see. Without a word, the guard stepped to the side and allowed us in. I got to tell you, I was in pure disbelief at how easy it was. But then again, we did have all-access tickets.

The first person I saw backstage was none other than my uncle. Uncle Shu was talking to another musician with a glass of beer in one hand. He saw us and gestured for us to join him. I made my way to him and the others followed close behind. “This is my nephew, Yoshiki,” he introduced me to his friend.

“Nice to meet you,” I said. I then looked up at who the person was and I had to do a double-take. “Mr. Koba?!”

“What are you doing here, old-man?” came Fumi from behind me.

“It’s Yoshiki and the gang,” laughed Mr. Koba.

“Answer my question, dammit!” demanded Fumi.

“I told you that my band never misses a show at this festival,” he told her.

“You know them?” asked Uncle Shu.

“Heh, heh, this here is my daughter, Masafumi,” introduced Mr. Koba.

“You’re daughter’s name is Masafumi?” asked Uncle Shu.

“Uncle, it’s best not to question that…or call her by that name,” I told him for his own safety. I then turned back to Mr. Koba and asked, “Mr. Koba, what are you doing backstage?”

“My band is playing tonight,” he told us. “We’re going on after the next band.”

Ikki quickly glanced at the paper that Juri had given him to see what band Mr. Koba belonged to. His eyes widened once he came to the answer. “You play with The Ramens?” he asked.

“Yes,” replied Mr. Koba.

All of our eyes widened in surprise at his answer. If you must know, The Ramens were one of the pioneers and leaders of Japan’s punk scene back in the late-70s. There were four members, each named after a flavor of ramen as fitting their band name: Shio Ramen (lead singer/rhythm guitar), Shoyu Ramen (lead guitar), Miso Ramen (bass), and Kare Ramen (drums). Just like their humorous, uncommon band name and stage names, The Ramens were nonconformists who rejected the mainstream. They went on to release seven albums before disbanding for unknown reasons. Their legendary status is well-deserved and they are still viewed today by contemporary bands as idols and influences. They are also one of Ikki’s biggest heroes in the punk scene.

“You’re kidding,” said Ikki with his mouth hung open.

“I’m Shio Ramen,” revealed Mr. Koba.

“You’re kidding,” repeated Ikki with the same expression.

“Nope, he’s not,” said Uncle Shu.

“You guys know each other?” I asked my uncle.

“We played a few shows together before,” my uncle told me.

“I see.” From the corner of my eyes, I caught Ryuki talking to someone else. But seeing him reminded me of what we were here for. “Anyway, I got to go see a friend.”

“Alright then, good luck,” said Uncle Shu.

“I want to stay and talk to the great Shio Ramen,” said Ikki.

“You’re free to do as you wish,” said my uncle.

Ikki stayed behind as I made my way towards Ryuki. Everyone else followed my lead. On the way there, Fumi noticed a member of alternative metal group Incensed and took Taka with her to go meet him; Ai saw the members of the band Vixxens and broke off to go say hello. Now, it was just me and Saiki left.

“Hey, Iomi!” called Ryuki.

“Hey,” I replied back.

“Saiki! You’re here too!” said Ryuki excitedly. “How did you manage to get her here?” he asked me.

“We snuck her out,” I told him.

“Seriously?!” exclaimed Ryuki with widened eyes. “Man, you got some guts to be playing with Haruto Ichiko.” He shook his head with an impressed smile on his face. “Anyway,” he said, gesturing to the person whom he was talking to just moments before, “I would like to introduce to you Takasaki Kira.”

The person whom he called Takasaki Kira was a very beautiful woman with long wavy brown hair that covered her left eye. Her right eye was a very lustrous jade and she had a skull earring dangling from her right ear. She was about the same height as Saiki and possessed a similar thin frame. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if she introduced herself as a model. But there was something about her that seemed familiar.

“This here is my friend Shiomi Yoshiki and my previous bandmate Haruto Saiki,” introduced Ryuki.

“Nice to meet you,” Saiki and I said in unison.

“Nice to meet you too, kids,” said the woman. Her voice was a little husky but playful. She sounded like that one aunt that loved to tease you all of the time but is very mature and cool all the same.

“Ms. Takasaki is the lead singer of—,” said Ryuki.

“Oh, sorry, I got to go,” she told us. “I promised my band that we would begin rehearsal in ten minutes.” She said farewell to us and left.

“So, how do you guys like the festival?” asked Ryuki once his friend was gone.

“It’s very fun,” I told him.

“I’m glad that I came,” said Saiki with a small smile.

“That’s all thanks to Iomi,” said Ryuki.

Saiki glanced up at me and then quickly looked down at her feet. She slowly nodded her head in agreement to Ryuki’s words. She still hadn’t completely returned to regular self yet. But I was still glad that she was able to come back to us slowly.

“Oh, you guys won’t want to miss the next show,” Ryuki told us. “I’m going out to watch myself.”

When we got back to join the crowd, I saw Ikki and the others waiting for us. The next band came on and it was The Ramens. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Mr. Koba was indeed Shio Ramen, the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of The Ramens. He had his hair teased in a wild style and I now saw the similarities between him and his younger self. The crowd went wild as the four older men took the stage. Despite their age, they still looked like they were capable of rocking hard.

Mr. Koba approached the microphone and put on a voice that wasn’t his; it was more nasally and higher-pitched. “It’s been more than fifteen years since we last took to the stage,” he told the crowd. “But now, we’re here to give you a show that no one else is capable of giving. I’m sick of hearing bands calling themselves rock’n’roll. The Ramens, we don’t need words to justify what we are. We show it through our music. So, are you ready for some real rock-n-roll?” The crowd went wild to show their approval of his question. Mr. Koba nodded his head and gestured to his other bandmates. “Alright then, if you want us to play rock-n-roll, then you better dance you monkeys!” And they immediately transitioned to their set opener, the classic The Ramens’ song “We’re All Dancing Monkeys”.

After The Ramens’ show, it was time for intermission. We took our break next to a food stall. “Man, that show was epic!” whooped Ikki.

“Yup,” said Saiki and I in unison with a laugh. We both immediately exchanged glances and became quiet. And the atmosphere between us got awkward.

“Hey, guys, why don’t we go play this game I saw over there?” suggested Fumi to the other guys.

“Yeah, sure,” agreed Ikki with a laugh.

“But why?” asked Taka. Fumi grabbed Taka by the arm and pulled her along.

“They can go play. I’ll stay here,” said Ai once they began to take their leave. Ikki immediately grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and dragged her along despite her objections.

Now, Saiki and I were alone together once again. We were silent and twiddled our fingers. Whenever we found our eyes meeting, we would quickly look the other way. To be honest, I felt like an awkward middle-schooler. I hated feeling like an awkward middle-schooler. I knew that I had to break the ice. I cleared my throat and said, “So, I heard that Ryuki was the one that introduced you to rock and metal.”

For the first time ever since the night of the launch party, Saiki talked to me in her normal voice. “Yes and no,” she told me.

“What do you mean by that?” I asked her.

“I was already exposed to some rock and metal by Goro,” she explained. “He introduced me to the classic bands and I was hooked. I was interested in hearing how music that is so heavy and distorted and “ugly” can also be so melodic and fun and catchy and beautiful at the same time. That was my first experience with rock. After meeting Ryuki, I was introduced to the greater world of rock and metal. I discovered modern bands, learned about various subgenres, and listened to groups from around the world.”

“I see,” I said with a smile. Learning about Haruto Saiki from Saiki herself was better than hearing it from other people. It made me feel more closer to her.

“Can you tell me something about yourself now?” she asked me.

“What is it?” I asked.

“How did you get the nickname Iomi?” she wondered.

“The name was actually given to me by my uncle,” I told her. “He calls me Yoshiki now, but before, he used to call by that nickname. My uncle taught me guitar and discovered that I was quite the quick learner. He gave me that nickname in homage to one of his guitar heroes, Tommy Iomi, who had always been lauded as a guitar prodigy.”

“And Ikki calls you that now?” asked Saiki.

“He heard my uncle call me that once and it just stuck with him,” I said with a light chuckle.

The intermission was over and the next band was about to get up and play. Unlike any of the other bands before it, an announcer’s voice came over the speakers to introduce them. “Give it up for the most sensational rock-n-roll band in he world! They brought rock out of the dark ages and have immortalized it into our very souls! To them, rock is not black nor white! Ladies and gentlemen, GrEy!”

GrEy came out onto the stage to the biggest cheers of the night. I saw my uncle took the stage with them and I cheered for him like an excited little kid. After that big announcement, the lead singer came up and worked the audience. They then introduced the first song, “The Beginning of Rock”, and they took off. I’m embarrassed to say, but man, I went wild! The band continued on with five more songs, a mix of new songs and old classics. On the new ones, my uncle switched out with the current lead guitarist, but he came back to play on the classics.

And then, it came time for them to play their most famous ballad. No, it wasn’t the song that I played before—that was a deep cut in case you forgot. But this ballad followed a similar theme. It was called: “Opening My Heart”. The piano melody that started off the song got everyone cheering. The guitars smoothly joined the piano with a very gentle yet emotive riff. And then the singer sang the first verse as the bass came in to provide support. Everyone swayed to the lyrics with their hands raised up. The pre-chorus came and the drums entered to fill out the music. When it was time for the chorus, everyone joined in singing. It was the most romantic lyrics I have ever heard before in a love song. It went as follows: “Take my hand and we can survive this world together/My heart belongs to only you/Not even death can tear us apart. We’ve been through thick and thin and hell together/You are the reason that I live/Please accept me opening my heart.”

Listening to those lyrics made me feel warm inside. Maybe it was because I felt the same way as the lyrics? I looked around me and I made an observation that I hadn’t noticed before: with the exception of my group, the crowd was made up entirely of couples! They held each other and looked lovingly at each other while swaying to the song. Watching them made me feel awkward and embarrassed, as it should to any teenage boy with no prior romantic experience. Okay, I know I sound like a little kid for saying that, but it’s true!

I glanced over at Saiki and our eyes met. She quickly looked away and blushed. I blushed by seeing her blush and that made me feel like an idiot. ‘What the hell am I doing?!’ I asked myself. I looked back up at the band and I saw my uncle give me a wink. What was that supposed to mean? What is he trying to tell me?

As the song continued, I listened to the lyrics and I seriously felt like it was trying to send me subliminal messages or something. I mean. it was literally talking about having confidence to confess your love and to do it before it was too late. Was the song trying to tell me to take its advice? Is this what my uncle was telling me?

I glanced back at Saiki and our eyes met again. This time, however, she didn’t look away. “I…I really like this song,” I said with a stupid laugh. Seriously? Did I seriously just say that? Really?!

“Me too,” she agreed with a smile.

“Do you prefer this one, or ‘Heart Basket’?” I asked her with an idiotic smile.

“I like both,” she replied.

“Hey, whatcha talking about favorite songs for?” whispered Ikki in my ear.

“Mind your own business,” I snapped back at him.

Ikki swung his arm around my neck and did the same to Saiki. “Look around us! Couples everywhere are taking this chance to express themselves to each other! Do you two have anything to say to each other as well?” His words only made me and Saiki blush a deep shade of red.

Fumi saved us by pulling on Ikki’s ear. “Let them be,” she told him while tearing him away from us.

I looked at Saiki and let out an awkward laugh. “Ikki can be a real joker sometimes,” I said.

“Yup,” agreed Saiki with an awkward smile.

The second chorus came and everyone got even more passionate than before. They all engaged in public displays of affection and moved even more lively to the music. The people around us became so caught up in the music that they pushed me and Saiki into each other. I caught her and asked worriedly, “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” she replied. “Thank you.”

Our eyes met and I was astounded by her beauty. My heart increased in speed and I could feel beads of sweat form around my temples. My true feelings inside wanted to come pouring out. It was getting harder to contain and I just couldn’t handle the torture anymore—I wanted this pain to go away! With a gulp, I looked Haruto Saiki right in the eyes and said, “Haruto Saiki, I love you.”

Her eyes widened in surprise at my declaration and she remained still. I didn’t know what was going on through her mind, but I was ready to be rejected. I had bared my heart to her and I am prepared for the consequences. She didn’t say anything back at all. That scared me. Why isn’t she responding? The guitar solo hit; and then, as if in answer to all of my questions, she leaned forward and our lips touched.